Nuclear News 40 Under 40 list accepting nominations for 2025

Recently, seven honorees from last year’s 40 Under 40 sat down with American Nuclear Society Executive Director/CEO Craig Piercy to discuss the current state of the workforce and prospects for nuclear in this country. Piercy noted in his remarks that the current demographic shift in the broader nuclear community was the impetus for the creation of the 40 Under 40 list, which shines a light on younger ANS members achieved professional successful while also acting as leaders who are shaping the future of nuclear energy by influencing policy, engaging with the public, and pushing the field forward.

Criteria for nominees: Nominees must be 39 years old or younger and must be current members of ANS through December 31, 2025. Candidates can be nominated either by their workplace or institution or by a fellow ANS member.

Nomination process: The nomination form is available on ANS’s website. It must be filled out completely and include the following:

• The nominee’s name, job title, contact information, and date of birth.
• The sponsor's name, job title, and contact information.
• The nominee’s CV (as an attachment).
• The sponsor's formal letter of recommendation (as an attachment).
• A second, optional formal letter of recommendation (as an attachment; no more than two letters will be accepted).

Recommendation letters should include an overview of the nominee’s achievements with clear examples of the individual’s leadership, impact, and potential for future contributions to the nuclear community. All nominees will be evaluated by Nuclear News staff on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the following:

• Technical achievements, such as if the nominee is studying nuclear science or engineering at an accredited institution or holds an advanced degree in nuclear science (a degree in nuclear engineering is not a requirement for nomination); and/or if the nominee has presented research at a student or technical conference.
• Professional achievements, such as in design, engineering, or operations in the nuclear power field or other applications of nuclear technology; and/or whether the nominee displays scientific or technical capacity in a nuclear discipline.
• Leadership and impact, such as contributions to the dissemination of nuclear science knowledge through teaching, mentoring, social media, or public outreach; participation in scientific organizations and/or associations; and/or receipt of awards and honors, whether that recognition is organizational, local, regional, national, or international.

The NN staff greatly enjoyed celebrating the honorees of the inaugural 40 Under 40 list last December, and we look are looking forward to recognizing nuclear’s bright young talent later this year in the November issue of Nuclear News.